The Dodgers have brought Teoscar Hernández back on a three-year deal. The Republik Sports client is reportedly guaranteed $66MM, including a $23MM signing bonus. There is $23.5MM in deferred money, while the deal includes a $15MM team option (or a $6.5MM buyout) for the 2028 season. He’ll receive a $10MM salary next season, $7.5MM of which is deferred. Another $8MM of his respective $12MM and $14.5MM salaries for 2026 and ’27 are also deferred. The deferrals reportedly reduce the contract’s net present value to roughly $58.1MM.
Hernández, 32, gets the three-year deal he’d been seeking. The slugger had called returning to the Dodgers a priority after a huge first season with the team. Hernández slashed .272/.339/.501 with 33 homers across 652 plate appearances. He carried that strong production into the postseason, hitting three longballs with a .250/.352/.417 slash over 16 games to help the Dodgers secure their second championship in five years.
This was the ideal outcome for a player on a pillow contract. Hernández had reached free agency last winter on the heels of a middling season in Seattle. He had turned in a .258/.305/.435 slash over 678 plate appearances as a Mariner. As a result, Hernández didn’t find the lucrative long-term offer he’d been seeking. While the Red Sox offered him a two-year deal that would’ve come with a $28MM guarantee, he signed for one season on a deferred $23.5MM salary with the goal of reestablishing his market value.
It couldn’t have worked out much better for either side. Hernández had one of the best seasons of his career. He earned his second All-Star nod and Silver Slugger award while picking up down ballot MVP votes for the third time. Hernández established a new career high in home runs with rate stats that were in line with his best years in Toronto. He was an instrumental part of a championship roster.
The down year in 2023 looks like an anomaly. He’s hardly the only veteran hitter to struggle in Seattle’s extremely pitcher-friendly home park. Hernández has been an impact hitter in each of the other four seasons since his breakout in 2020. Over the past five years, he owns a .274/.328/.493 batting line in nearly 2700 trips to the plate. There’ll be a decent number of strikeouts, but few players hit the ball as hard as he does. Hernández is an annual threat for 30+ doubles and at least 25-30 homers.
Hernández was the only key offensive player whom the Dodgers feared losing in free agency. He’ll return to join Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy, Tommy Edman and Gavin Lux in a loaded offense. The Dodgers added Michael Conforto on a one-year, $17MM contract at the Winter Meetings. No other team rivals the potency of the L.A. lineup.
The Dodgers are taking on some risk from a defensive perspective. Despite plus arm strength and surprisingly strong athleticism, Hernández has never graded as a good defender. That continued this season. Defensive Runs Saved felt he was three runs below par in his 1308 combined innings between the corner outfield spots. Statcast rated him much more harshly, estimating he was 11 runs below average.
Hernández isn’t likely to improve on a contract that runs through age 34. An ideal landing spot would’ve allowed him to move to designated hitter in year two or three. That’s not an option on a team with Ohtani. The Dodgers are moving Betts to shortstop and will have Hernández and Conforto flanking Edman in the outfield. They’ll accept a mediocre defensive unit for the chance to stack with the lineup with good hitters.
Adding Conforto and re-signing Hernández blocks the path to everyday at-bats for youngsters Andy Pages and James Outman. The latter feels like a change of scenery candidate after a disappointing second MLB season. The Dodgers will probably be less inclined to move the 24-year-old Pages, who had a league average .248/.305/.407 showing as a rookie. He still has a minor league option remaining, so they could start him in Triple-A if they don’t want to limit him to fourth outfield work.
Pages doesn’t have anything else to prove in the minors, but the Dodgers have the resources to continue loading up. Other teams figure to at least try to pull him away via trade, though L.A. could prefer to hold him as a replacement for Conforto after next season. Signing Blake Snell and retaining Blake Treinen earlier in the winter leaves the Dodgers without any clear holes on the roster.
At the start of the offseason, MLBTR predicted Hernández would receive a three-year deal at $60MM. He’ll land slightly above that forecast in raw money, though the deferrals will reduce the net present value to a hair below it. A three-year, $66MM deal without deferrals would have come with a $22MM competitive balance tax hit. Hernández’s number ends up around $19.4MM.
Including Hernández, RosterResource calculates the Dodgers’ luxury tax number around $353MM. They’re well beyond the $301MM mark that represents the final tier of penalization. They’re taxed at a 110% rate on the final AAV. Re-signing Hernández will likely cost them upwards of $40MM next year after taxes. The Dodgers have been undeterred by the CBT as they push for a repeat.
Hernández had declined a qualifying offer. Other teams would have needed to forfeit a draft choice to sign him. The Dodgers only relinquish the right to receive a 2025 compensation pick, which would have come after the fourth round. The Blue Jays and Red Sox had also been linked to Hernández this winter. Those clubs (especially Toronto) could turn to Anthony Santander, who stands as the clear top unsigned outfielder. Jurickson Profar is a tier or two below that as the next-best outfield bat.
Yancen Pujols first reported that Hernández and the Dodgers were finalizing a three-year, $66MM deal. Chris Cotillo of MassLive confirmed there was an agreement in place. ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the $15MM option for 2028, as well as the signing bonus and the approximate $23MM in deferrals. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported the salary and deferral breakdown. Jon Heyman of the New York Post had the final NPV.
Image courtesy of Imagn.
Let’s go!!!!! Repeat city
only 63M deferred
Finally
Thank you
They deferred signing him until after Christmas but got it done.
About time!
Seems like a low salary.
It’s fair. At his age and talent would you want to lose a draft pick? Can’t go all in.
Bjhaas – Yeah, how does one live on $7,000,000 a year, with $23,000,000 in the bank and another $23,000,000 coming in the future. Should we start a Go Fund me charity?
Takin’ care of business over there
Now the bidding intensifies for Santander.
Nah. Same boat at Hernandez. Lil younger but not a good enough player or big enough star to want to pay max value and lose a draft pick. They will bid but not intensely.
Even worse because LA has the $ and wouldn’t have received a high draft pick. Baltimore like with Burnes would very much like to not spend $ and receive their draft pick.
Way to go bluejays
Yeah…I think I’m done. I’ve gotta find a new team to follow
Just don’t try the Reds.
Followed Dodger Blue and was rewarded with a WS, so can recommend. When Biggio got traded over I followed watching and listening to the team since Teo was there already so I knew a couple on the team. Highs and lows with Biggio then he was out and Kiermeier was in.
Dodgers went through so many players though it was a wonder they kept up in their division. They had a leash but it was short.
Anyway good to have a few teams to follow doesn’t have to be this one. I’ll also be adding the Pirates to see how IKF and Horwitz are doing. Cheers
Atkins will come up empty handed then hopefully lose his job
He seems to have no ability to attract any free agents. His trades are terrible…and cant seem to retain any players (or extend them).
The farm teams suck. And his draft selections never pan out.
What does he do?
Maybe he has some compromising photos of his boss or something….
it’s been 9 years, why would it matter now? Shapiro and Atkins are tied together they come as a set to destroy franchises. They do great for stadiums but not for teams
Running it back! Tanner Scott next!
God please no they’ve spent enough money
I hope they get em all
Making Steve Cohen look a mite cheap.
Hear, hear!!
To the shock of NO ONE.
Looks like we got the band back together.
Except for Number 21, Buetane. *sniffle*
Rays
I paid only $99 for MLB.com to watch non-local games for almost a full season. That does not require legacy wealth or privilege.
Probably not what a collection of antiques like the Dodgers should be doing if they want to add to the big trophy collection.
Good for him! Finally and well deserved.
This team is stacked!
and handing out STACK$
No one wants to be overpaid in Toronto, Boston or SF.. mine as well run it back
This team is loaded !
The Los Angeles deferrals strike again with the 23 million
but also 23m bonus! Any team who believes in their product going forward can do the same!
Thought the Dodgers were going to move on?I’m sure I’ve read that here.
all part of the game and this is a rumor site but if you don’t think they had back up plans to back up plans you don’t follow the team.
They would have if need be. But the new what his market was. They have a lil experience in signing free agents. They knew he would come crawling back.
Plain and simple, baseball is lawless and out of control. Big markets buy championships while 90% of the league operates as a farm system for the factory. It’s a tarnished game because of money. Playing field is not equal.
May the entire organization and its fans spend an eternity writhing in a flaming, decaying pit of fecal horror!
Just a game, dude.
We are willing to sign up for that. Just as long as the fecal horror is deferred!
You already are Stoked. You already are.
I wouldnt go that far, but it really is annoying
Be happy energel. Dodgers won’t get their hands on Skenes for another 5 years yet.
why do people not think Pirates wont extend him… Pirates are big on extensions
relax dude. just joshing. Skenes is terrific. enjoy him.
(but he does come from Fullerton CA) wink wink.
also not trying to be rude or mad, sorry if it came off that way, just very passionate for the buccos and skenes.
and oh yeah I’ll enjoy him
Does he have Boras as his agent?
Not Boras. Rafa Nieves is Teo’s agent.
@energel
We’ll see. Pirates are like the Rays. Extend him, give him no supporting cast, fail to meet expectations, and then traded (or let walk in FA). Unfortunately it’s the fate for all small market teams
They can’t afford that extension.
I think Livvy would rather be in LA than Pittsburgh.
May God cure your mind and soul. Sad to see people talk this way if it’s only a game for human kind to be entertained. God bless you
May God cure your blathering ego?
Cheers,
A giants fan, lol. At least you had Willie,
And Juan. And Willie. Orlando, Felipe, Matty, Jesus…
Yikes. Kinda side ways yout.
Hahaha!!
That’s light contract ! Less than 15 mil per over 3 years with some deferred money. How’s there not a dozen teams in in this guy for that cost ?? Yet he gets no buzz
Seems like LA and NYC are only two cities that can afford MLB free agents. Smh
Hey Lousy GM shapiro …WAKE UP !!
Will the Sox pivot to Santander or sit on their hands? Stay tuned…
Oh I think the major off-season moves are done for the Sox.
The lineup really needs a RHB in the middle of the order and this was the obvious answer and they whiffed yet again.
I hope not. If they want to be competitive they need to get another bat. I would also like to see one more piece added to the bullpen.
1 sox doesn’t need outfielders, the other really doesn’t either but they are rebuilding anyways.
I doubt the Red Sox are adding an outfielder until they unload Yoshida’s 3 years/$54M remaining contract. They might not add Bregman until they unload that. They apparently won’t just eat his salary.
Red Sox are loaded with outfielders. I think they’re gonna have a great year. I like their moves.
I still think there is someone willing to take a shot with Yoshida, probably need to sweeten the pot with either money or a prospect or take back a bad contract. I certainly hope they are not done with making moves.
Aloha folks, crazy that on a smaller contract of this size with a team that rakes in the revenue, they’d need Teoscar to defer 1/3 of this contract. I’m amazed he went for this. Mahalo
It’s a loophole mechanism for teams to reduce AAV for luxury tax purposes. They’re also giving him a $23M signing bonus so I don’t think Teo has any personal net losses as a result of the deferrals. I’d imagine that other teams offered more but guess he likes the Dodgers.
Aloha Yankees, I hear you and understand it’s a loophole. I wonder in the next CBA agreement if this will be dealt with. I’m pretty sure no one thought a player given a $700mil deal would have 97% of it deferred. I’ve said to folks maybe a hard line of up to 15% deferred for no more than 5yrs. I didn’t have an issue with the size of the deal but you as the signing team must assume all the responsibilities of lost draft picks, paying the luxury tax to the league, etc. This loophole allows the team to “escape” some of those penalties and no says anything out of the MLB headquarters. So go ahead and sign Shohei, Snell and Teoscar but adhear to the rules as intended and accept the consequences. If LA couldn’t get around this, I wonder if they sign all these folks? Just a question. Take care now and have a Happy New year! Mahalo
Aloha KC! You too! I’m sure it will be addressed but this is a team owners’ problem. 2024 MLB salaries totaled close to $6B and Forbes estimates that MLB had $11.6B in revenues in 2023. I’m not sure what the solution is but players don’t want their share of the pie to shrink while league revenues continue to rise.
Please. Revenue and profit are different. Everyone is quick to point out revenue, but expenses are seldom mentioned. Player salaries are but one part. Did you know expenses continue to rise, also. Grocery stores have a much higher revenue than MLB, but after expenses are around 3% for profit. Not trying to make a comparison, just saying large revenues don’t automatically mean large profit.
Most people are aware of what net income is.
Teo is fine. He seen all the offers. Took the most appealing. Would you really want to give him 22m a year and lose draft pick? So 22m a year deferred in LA was probably the best offer or close enough to play where you are comfortable and have the best odds to win.
Here we go again, and again, and again. No, it is not a “loophole.” In fact, if you read the CBA (and some of us actually have), deferred salaries are treated as loans to the team, which are required to pay the player a set fixed interest annually. You’d think that anyone who has ever paid or been paid interest would immediately understand this concept… but no. And no, this doesn’t need to be “fixed” in the CBA. Both the players and the teams like having this option. No team is forced to offer a deferral and no player is forced to take one. They both do it as a matter of financial self-interest.
1 billion in deferrals
I hope so. That’s the smart business way to do it.
More dodger deferrals lose your minds fans of teams that aren’t doing the same but could.
66 M for an aging DH w/ platoon and K issues. Woof
When you’re giving players 700 million. You’re not really worried about 66 million lol.
@Gmoney
hahahahahahahah
love to know what squad you pull for.
He doesn’t platoon, got many, many clutch hits for LA, including post season, was a joy in the clubhouse, and in one year surpassed Mookie as my favorite Dodger.
Who just put up a 4.3 WAR season and by NPV is probably getting less than a 20m AAV.
Aw, are you crying?
AMEN!!!
Fu#k Yea ! Now Roki… Go Dodgers !
Omg, I actually forgot that they’re going to get him too. To the victors….
HOO F-IN RAY!
Reds sit idle, watching the best outfielders disappear, this team needs a solid bat in outfield and someone with proven home runs, soon the bottom will drop, it’s over, this team has only a few years to succeed with the young guys
So many Reds fans in the comments. Reds are not in this league; this is not about the Reds. Just because they grew some talent doesn’t mean there will suddenly be money for FA’s (or that free agents would choose Ohio over LA).
Reds fans have it pretty rough. I would take Ohio over CA. One of the last free states.
Yeah. We are discussing the real teams still. Once NY LA get all the best players we can pivot to the reds and talk about the scraps they picked up.
A dream gm in your own mind please self mute and save us all from your ridiculous and shallow minded thoughts on the trivial tidbits you spit out as relevant to the ongoing conversation. They,in fact, are amusing but really embarrassing to your parents.
Amusing is enough for me
Also liking your own comment is self amusing also.
Put 100k in escrow and I will live stream taking it to 2. Oh that’s right you’re a broke loser.
Your frustration is showing. I will debate you anytime.
Hahaha! What about the Pirates what kind of scraps will they end up with?
It’s getting bad. Back in the good ole days these richer teams were dum dums. They would have given Alonso 200m and Walker 100m. Pirates would have gotten Goldy Santana. It’s a good thing they can somewhat develop pitching now. Because the days of getting #4 starters like Anderson Quintana Velazquez for 3m are over. Cohen will give em 20m.
Pirates traded trash and got a all star platoon at 1b in Horowitz. Maybe they do he same for outfield. Or Winker is more valuable to Pittsburgh than anyone else so maybe they splurge on him. Profar that would really be a splurge so won’t bet on that. At worse I hope they sign 2 of the 4 remaining weak platoon all stars. Jack Suwinski was a platoon all star before hitting coach messed him up. So they could have a all star platoon if they can #GetJackBack They should have signed Tauchman. Maybe get Hayes.
The rich get richer! Welcome home Uncle Teo!
162-0 begins now!
Mookie is really going to be the Ss vs all righties, its been in the picture frame the whole time, but really setting in today
Should be fun for us to watch how this transition goes, an adventure of sorts
Next on the dodgers MENU. Arrenado, Kike, and Tanner Scott. Let’s Go Dodgers
Scott is a low percentage ‘maybe’.
Kike is a ‘no’.
Arenado is a ‘hell no’.
I really hope they get Kike. All he needed was glasses. Even if they don’t need him.
One more Hernandez to go
hope they figure a way to keep him around too. I think he made a speech in SD that turned it around. just speculation on my part but it seemed like that happened
This is lower than I expected for his AAV after the deferrals.
LA deferrals with a steal of a deal
I’m really surprised he came back. He must not have had many offers and obviously no one wanting to give him a 4 year deal.
But I’m glad he’s back.
Just not worth losing draft pick for. Limited his earnings.
The most sickening and predictable news of the day. This loser knows he’s nothing without the purchased superstars around him. All that BS about being far apart on a deal was smoke for fans to believe that someone other than these scumbags were going to get him. He was almost going to come crawling back to daddy. I’m sure he led these other teams on like a c***tease so the moneybags would throw a few extra dollars his way. Shut this stupid league down now before we have to see 6 straight World Series titles by these greedy pigs.
Breath
Just 6 straight division titles. Someone is bound to win a playoff series against them at some point in 6 years.
I hope you’re right but they’re just going to keep buying and buying and other teams will give up
@Mickey 6 years is still small sample. They could go 6 for 6. I won’t bet on it. Still though just getting to playoffs as a favorite is huge. You will get your share.
What a pathetic baby tantrum you’re throwing here. He’s a grown man that chose where he wants to play and you go ahead and grow up while you’re at it.
Wow…. Maybe take a break from baseball. Noms if this actually matters and it doesn’t seem like you’re particularly entertained by what’s supposed to just be harmless entertainment when push comes to shove.
Oh how I LOVE to see Mickey Solis seethe.
I’d tell you once again to seek professional help but apparently you enjoy your anguish as much as the rest of us enjoy reading your posts.
How do you support this team and what they’re doing, seriously? I can understand in 2017, when they mostly built from within. But what they’re doing now is inherently an insane advantage that only a few teams have. They’re not “smarter than everyone else,” maybe only the few teams that can actually spend, and being in LA they also have the advantage of weather and prestige teams can’t match. I just can’t believe as fans you don’t find it to at least take away from their success. Building a super team with unlimited funds isn’t some accomplishment the fans should feel proud of.
Will Mickey be able to handle it when LA signs Tanner Scott next?
He couldn’t handle it when they extended their utility infielder, so…
Scott and Sasaki, I’m glad DraftKings gave me odds on those two. Who else is on your wish list in the future? Hopefully teams will just start handing you players and stop showing up for games.
In the previous 3 seasons before he joined the Dodgers he was averaging over 27 homers and over 95 rbi lol.
Let the hate flow through you!!
You don’t know the power of the Dark Side Mickey!!!
Maybe switch from baseball to bowling, cut back to every other day on the cocaine, toss the tequila and buy some wine.
Hey, mickey solis checked in. Missed ya buddy. Only a couple more days and your grammar school’s Christmas vacation is over. Did Santa bring you some cool stuff? Hope so.
As contorted as a flakka dance down the Santa Monica pier.
Just watch the game and enjoy. Considering the paychecks going around this man is not overpaid.
More to the deferral pile for the LA Deferrals! Nicely done!
Id like to see one division of 32 teams playing a completely balanced schedule where the top 7 teams make the playoffs and the best record gets a bye. That will do away with less than the best record making the playoffs and do away with the division based scheduling disparities. No more bogus regional rivalries or bogus notions of an american or national league. One division of 32.
Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all
The reason they have an imbalanced schedule is because of travel time. Otherwise they would only be doing 120 games or something like that.
Would destroy a dozen tv markets so not happening. Just get rid of both central divisions other than the cubs. Hard to support the product as is. Without the dream of winning the mediocre central and beating your rivals why care.
I’m sure you can set that up in a video game but in real life nobody else wants that.
These deferrals are getting out of hand and is quite laughable.
Might as well go ahead and defer Burnes 400 million at this point
@mad1; excellent idea!!
Not enough k rate for LA or they would!
No one but dodger fans care about this team buying everyone and paying them until old age. It’s disgusting and it’s making other teams not spend as much cause some feel there is a budget and what’s the point if this team has 50 all stars
if memory serves the Snakes couldn’t finish ahead of the Friars in ’24.. but I remember an awful lot of crowing from you when the Dbacks made the Series in ’23.
Guess it doesn’t serve you right at all wrong perspn
try again in English
@ takerexpert
two words:
Corbin Burnes
Baseball should do away with deferred contracts. If a team is willing to spend, by all means do it but money should not allowed to be deferred.
Nationals won a WS on the back of lots of deferred money. As long as all teams can do it, why not?
You probably work for the California state government. The only losers with deferrals is the California State Treasury. Players are beating California out of millions in of state revenue, as their rate is 13.3 percent. Ohtani might be saving up to 90 million state taxes.
Jersey — Interesting take, I hadn’t thought about the Tax ramifications. As if states don’t already pay the owners 100s of millions.
Pretty sure CA taxes you for income earned in state regardless of where you live. You can get exemptions based on the taxes you pay where you live so you aren’t “double taxed”. It is pretty lame. Communism is not good.
Chris Rock once said that rooting for the Yankees to win the World Series is like rooting for Bill Gates to win the lottery. I’d also add that rooting for the Dodgers to win the World Series again is like rooting for Elon Musk to win the lottery.
We don’t claim Elon, that fool went to Texas. keep him.
yeah he’s some fool. please tell us more. actually don’t and keeping your politics to yourself is a virtue. btw you lost.
what are you talking about? Live under a rock? Dodgers won it all baby!
swing and a miss!
I would love it if Elon won the lotto. That would be absolutely hilarious.
Good for Teo! It was a good fit. The Ohtani bromance continues!
*finally got a 4th one right in the contest lol. I was 3/4 and then a massive slide. Tough rookie year! (For the contest, been commenting for years, following more)
Very fair deal for player and team and man the Dodgers with all those deferrals. How do they talk players into it and why aren’t more teams taking this approach!?
I assume other teams offered more but Teoscar took less + deferrals for ez rings and LA lifestyle and no pressure as he is like the 5th best hitter compared to 1st or 2nd on other teams.
LA lifestyle ain’t all that and most of these guys generally live elsewhere in the offseason. I do agree he went with a team that gave him better odds at more rings/pistons season berths.
In my timeline he had a QO. Teams have to factor in that loss if signing him. So offer him less. He isn’t young or great. Even then then they just can’t match the $. He is already comfortable with LA vs a unknown. If he likes winning what better place. And if he hates winning I am sure he still enjoys his share of playoff $. So is he worth 23 24 25 26 million and losing draft picks signing $ luxury tax $. Whatever. Would be like paying him 30 million a year for some teams.
LET’S GO DODGERS! now for the emotional signing, bring Kiké back!
GET YOUNGER!
this is great news! what a team and still other moves out there!
What’s a little more deferred money between friends. Lost count of the total deferrals they have now
It might be getting to a point they could just buy another franchise with deferred $. Maybe not Mets but Marlins Pirates or something.
I’ll also say as a dodger fan are you really happy if you win? Did you really feel you earned it? Like those teams that have amazing chemistry and build it together from the farm or at least some cheaper free agents that were unexpected signings that did well? Not one fan is Impressed cause it’s expected and a failure if you don’t win. It may not seem like it yet but they are ruining the game and MLB is so far behind NFL and NBA they let it happen. Just unfortunate.
Yes.
Are Yankees fans happy with their 27 championships. Yes they are. Same with dodgers. They don’t care about fairness.
My favorite teams are Pirates Rays. I like a challenge. I am vast minority.
its a juggernaut for sure but lbh here. anyone could have signed FF or Teo or Shohei and Boston traded Betts to the team. Snell was there for any team as well. team continually grabs other teams leftovers like Muncy and Treinen as well as the entire bp mostly. seems like the team mentality is hitting on all cylinders. as a long time fan its pretty awesome to witness.
Remember when Cohen was going to do this, but no decent GM would work for him the first three years?
awwww.
not happy… ecstatic.
Yes I earned it.
Yes, yes, and yes.
Such a sad little puppy, TAKERDBACKS is.
Can’t wait to see what this contract actually looks like. How many deferred years etc. Teo ended up giving them a discount.
Teoscar will also be cleaning the pools of the Guggenheim fellows, and is hoping the NPV of the deferred money ends up with him owing the Dodgers.
Wtf are the red Sox doing with missing out here? Right handed power hitting outfielder to replace oniel. Price seems very reasonable. God dang man! This sucks!
He didn’t want to play for Boston. I’m sure they offered same/similar contract (probably without the deferrals). He just didn’t want to play for them. Sometimes you can offer Juan Soto more money and he still won’t pick Toronto.
Hopefully they offered him less. Only way he wasn’t going back to LA is if LA didn’t want him.
No one “picks” Toronto. Toronto picks you. Like herpes.
Hey, you got George Springer for 6/150m!
Too soon?
LAD were getting the last look no matter what. Boston or any fanbase can groan at its FO, but do you want to desperately pay for a guy in typical decline years so much that even they say no way we’ll come close?
Don’t you think he wants to win another ring. He had an awesome chemistry with the team last year and I’m sure he wants to be part of it for a long time.
“Missed out” on Teoscar and Burnes. Obviously the Soto chase was just a John Henry smokescreen saying “See? We really want to get some high-quality players.” Face it, the Sox are going back to 1965 very soon and fans will start staying away. It isn’t like the Pirates or Rockies. Boston is a big-market area and any team that refuses to improve will suffer for it.
god i hate the dodgers
Curious to know: is it because they have ownership that spends money on a product that people want to pay to see? I’m a die hard Cubs fan and I wish the Ricketts would spend like this instead of just knowing fans will fill the ballpark regardless of product on the field.
I wish everyteam would spend a little, so the free agent market is free game, salary cap would be nice, also salary floor as well. dodgers has over 300 million in salary, Pirates still in the 70-90 mil range, and they arnt even last.
I feel you.
MLB is such a joke.
And, yet, here you are.
didja also hate the kids who had dates for the Prom?
🙂
YES!!!
ugg
Orioles sign Tyler O’Neil for 3 years $50 million, dodgers sign this guy for $66 with deferrals.. lol Os can’t do anything right lol
I’ll take Oneil the money and draft picks.
I maybe wrong but I don’t think the NY teams have used the “ deferred clause” as much as the Dodgers.
I’m sure when they do MLB will do something about it.
lol
The dodgers are owned by a group that has 20x the money to play with as those NY teams.
Poor NY teams.
Yankees have a long-held policy not doing them as well as no early extensions. The only exceptions were Robbie Cano, Luis Severino, and Aaron Hicks
Since the ol man died Yanks prefer counting money to spending it on product. Yea they spend a lil, usually an overpay like Fried, but they’re not loading pinstripes up to be allstar team Dodgers are n they HAVE the money. Funny seeing mighty yanks crying poor. Cashman used up his coupon money.
Real big surprise. Teoscar lands back with the MLB champs.
Teams that have big money, they should just let those teams have who they want. It’s pretty much already like that.
I’m so disgusted with Major League Bsseball.
agreed
You should quit
Doyers are annoyingly aggressive this off-season
Stinks… dodgers just keep loading up on talent and what’s even more bothersome is that every other team in the league can do exactly what they are doing, perhaps to a lesser degree, but still very similar, and we are all pretending like the big bad dodgers are the only ones that can do it… it’s not true. You can see the financials of even the owners of the A’s…. They have plenty of money and if they would invest in their sports business, they’d be plenty successful. They just choose to be conservative instead of taking a little risk with it. But each and every team has the revenue and means to do what the dodgers are doing
Ohtani’s salary (70$) is more than the Athletics (62$), wdym every team has a chance? MLB needs a salary cap and/or salary floor
Commie
It’s pretty much LA v NY again. Everybody else is just playing for fun in the regular season.
Yankees have won 1 WS since 2009. Dodgers have won 1 WS since 1998. No, 2020 does not count, the COVID season. Unless your team has gone thru the 162 gauntlet, it does not count.. So, they can keep spending, spending, spending, and losing, losing, losing. Keep your head up. MLB is not like other sports.
Yes it counts. They all count. If you hoisted hardware at the end of the season, it counts. Period.
Why wouldn’t 2020 count? Were the Dodgers in jeopardy of not making the playoff tournament in a full season? I don’t think so.
No real surprise and good takes here on Pages and Outman….
This is story I been scanning “MLB Trade Rumors” for since Snell signing. Finally. All the Dodger haters, just imagine if your team was so hell bent on fielding best team out there. Gota respect that, they play within the rules. Gonna be fun year @Chavez Ravine. Go Dodgers !
If you are jealous of what they do just join them. You don’t need antenna on roof anymore. Can watch any team you want. And they are coming to a city near you.
I’m surprised it took this long on the reunion. Really seemed like a great fit for both sides.
Awesome ,another banger off the board for the Jays.
I hope this speeds up in the new year , so I don’t have to keep wondering if they have a chance on : Santander, Bregman or Burnes.
Sign already so I don’t have to keep wondering pathetically like jays have a shot.
One important detail that applies, specifically to the Dodgers in this case, to spending limitations is that putting hard caps in place jeopardizes MLB’s Anti-trust Exemption.
The only absolute certainty in baseball is that 100% of owners do not ever want that to come into question.
Excellent point. I don’t think many people know about the exemption.
“No other team rivals the potency of the L.A. lineup.”
Arizona alone scored more last year than the Dodgers and one can argue they had an off year. Yankees, Mets, Braves, and Orioles I’d say would rival them offensively as well. Writers opinion, but certainly debatable.
Mets and Yankees../zero chance.
Healthy Braves team maybe and perhaps the O’s when all is going well.
boo
They can’t keep getting away with this!
More deferred money…can I pay for a team on credit too?
Enjoy the strikeouts. The Mariners sure did. The amount he struck out was the same as missing like 70 games.
Yuki,
Dodgers must have overlooked that. Probably the glare of the championship trophy getting in their eyes.
Or the price tag of the store-bought trophy poked them in the eye.
@letitbelowlife
Thought you’d want to watch the trophy presentation and celebration again.
Enjoy.
mlb.com/video/dodgers-are-presented-with-the-world…
Actually, strikeouts notwithstanding, most of us are enjoying the World Championship. Teoscar was a huge part of that.
Dang son.
Teo simply didn’t want to leave
Going to be very interesting once they sign Bregman, Pete Alonso, and Santander. Where will they go in the lineup? I “defer” to the Dodgers.
The World Champs are better than they were last year on paper.
Got another one right in the FA contest.
Outstanding signing.
I don’t ever want to see Outman take another at bat for LA again.
Overpaid. Older players have decreasing numbers (especially after making bank) and he’ll mostly be a DH only player after next year. What will they do with him + Ohtani + Conforto? Conforto/Hernandez are getting older and reaching DH-only phases of their careers. If they take those spots, where does Ohtani fit in the field?
Just seems like a lot of money for either bench players or depth players that can’t play defense. But if there’s one team that can afford to DFA a player making 22 mil, it’s the Dodgers. Who cares about plebian organizations like the Rays/Pirates/Reds? Seriously.
Wonder when Taylor gets the axe?
If I am reading this correctly with the signing bonus and deferrals, the present day annual salary for Teoscar Hernandez will be approximately $6.7M per season.
What the rise of signing bonuse and deferrals really tell me is that these players are getting smarter about lifetime earnings and prefer one time lump sum payments upfront followed by longer term steady year over year income rather than the salaries they used to receive cut and dry per season only to have to be frustrated by the stagnant income and then adjusting to the lack of significant income after their playing days, or feeling frustrated by thw tamped down annual salaries they used to go for straight up.
signing bonuses are counted in AAV for salary purposes. So is a portion of the deferrd bucks.
Take a breath.
Dawg, as a trillionaire team operator you don’t get contracts. Bonuses and deferred funds are counted. Just not the same way. Present value just says that player agents are getting better at getting continuous paydays.
Dawg I fully get contracts and money I’m simply discussing players’ evolving approach to their career earnings.
You guys don’t get what my point is at all. I’m not talking about AAV or the luxury tax or any of that.
I’m talking about how individual players prefer to structure their payment over time- upfront, during their active career and upon retirement.
That’s all.
Not judging or overthinking the team’s side of it.
Trill…
Too sane for the room.
Bivouac-Sal — Respect, homie. Game recognize game.
Since I can’t reply directly to YBC:
Of course it’s better to get as much up front as possible, for investment purposes and present value etc, but that’s never how these contracts will work.
At the same time a lot of players fully admit that they can basically live off their original rookie signing bonus and some of they arbitration salary and the free agency money is often just gravy on top of gravy on top of gravy if they aren’t dispersing it to family and charity.
And yes of course teams such as the Dodgers love to get creative with salary structures to lower their luxury tax and make annual budgets easier, like when the Nationals were more known for deferral contracts.
@Trill People smart with money will always take the lump sum. Reckless spenders will remain broke bc that backpay is going to pay off debt.
The increase of structured deferrals is a function of teams not wanting to pay higher luxury taxes. Not the players’ choice in most cases.
Not even close to correct.
So then please enlighten me baseball team owner / assistant gm / accountant / Teoscar Hernandez himself.
30 or so million in that first year can be invested and you are making $3m a year on interest.
I’m just here for the whining of Dodger haters.
Teoscar is a poor fielder and sure had good production at the plate. I feel they can get the production from Andy Pages who’s young and better fielder, now got no playing time unless there injuries.
@stu
Barring more action from Friedman, I see Pages platooning with Conforto.
If Taylor wins the 2B job the Dodgers’ lowest salary for the starting 10 on opening day will be Edman’s $8.3m, the only one under $10m. That won’t change until they need a fifth starting pitcher. I don’t understand how Dodger (and Met and Yankee) fans find it enjoyable to root for teams like that. Just me.
seama…
Lux will be the 2B not Taylor And Lux makes 1.225 mill
And as for it being enjoyable to be a Dodger fan…there is nothing better. I suffered through many years –decades–of the Dodgers not winning. And it was still great to be a Dodger fan. Now? It’s f-in FANTASTIC.
Every fan wants his team to put the best possible team on the field. At bottom, what they earn I couldn’t care less. The more the merrier.
But you go right on judging.
You get to cheer for a team that puts the money back on the field instead of the owner’s pockets. It’s like loving someone who loves you back, just works and feels better.
seamaholic: I’ve been a Mets fan since my first game in 1968. Rooting for them is a function of loyalty, not payroll.
Ok, I guess. Sounds more like a job or a brand than fun, to me.
seamaholic: Although you know nothing about me or the fun I’ve had as a fan.
It’s a good idea to be more open-minded and less judgmental.
Most fans don’t choose their fandom based on how much the lineup is paid.
stu
they didn’t call you before doing this deal?????
I get resigning Hernandez (although I think signing Adames and keeping Mookie in the OF would have made more sense), but Conforto makes no sense. Pages is probably better than him and needs to play everyday for his development
Pages will play plenty. Every time Betts or Lux are given a day off Edman moves to infield and Pages plays. If Conforto or Hernandez get injured or are given rest he will play. Every time Lux or Conforto are pinch hit for a righty bat he will play. Whenever Roberts decides to overload the lineup with right handed bats he will play.
jabronie
2024 stats
Pages vs lefties: .917 OPS. vs righties ..647
.520 slug vs lefties. .370 vs righties.
oddly Conforto had better splits vs lefties than vs righties.
anyhow I see them in a platoon
Man if I was in the players union I would really want to check the Dodgers books.
The shear volume of their deferrals seems very bizarre to me.
Why is it that all of the other teams aren’t just doing the same thing as the Dodgers?
Rogers probably could have offered Ohtani a billion dollars in deferrals to go to Toronto.
Other teams aren’t even entertaining deferrals even just to get under the tax, but the Dodgers are doing it all of the time and in plain site.
Makes entirely no sense to me and feels like it is going to implode on itself at any moment.
Also, worrying is that no other teams are calling the Dodgers out.
No sympathy for any player if this goes south.
@golfsucks
“Makes entirely no sense to me”
that is apparent
Other teams do deferrals as well, the Dodgers just do them more (with Ohtani really skewing the numbers).
I got another one right! Now I have 6 correct picks. On my way to being the champion!
watch out York. The haters will come after you next.
Good for Teoscar. Nice to see a player who wants to play for a specific team end up there.
All free agents can go where they want, sometimes they have to take a bit of a discount like I am sure Teoscar did but they arent forced to go to a team they dont want to play for.
Rich get richer….eventually, after deferred money
And there it is. Yet another deal the Red Sox could and arguably should have made or topped, and didn’t. Maybe Teoacar wanted to stay in LA all along and if so I get that’s out of our control, but now what? We just let a guy who can play all 3 outfield spots and hit 30 home runs walk to a division rival and aren’t going to replace him at all?
Don’t the Dodgers owe him money from his previous deal?
Either the Mets or Dodgers (maybe both) are going to be really pissed off come World Series 2025.
Honestly, Mets don’t even have an ace. I’m not sure they’re a given for a playoff spot, let alone a World Series. We shall see.
Fantastic signing for the dollars spent. He fits well there and this contract is well below bloated expectations.
Santander looks poised to disappoint in his FA deal.
Hopefully he still gets enough to get the Os a draft pick!
can’t blame Shitkins on this one – Teo wanted to sign with the Dodgers and took a team friendly deal. maybe the Jays can trade for Outman. oh wait, we have no pieces that the Dodgers would want….
Re-signing Teo n adding Snell, Dodgers are better than they were last season. Roki wants to play for winner, sacrificing millions n millions by being posted early to do so, this has gota sweetin the LA sales pitch. Plus he sees how this organization takes care of there own.
I’d be wary of Snell.
They better be putting away money for these deferrals. Once their TV contract ends after 2038 they will be taking a big time cut in that revenue stream. Cable TV will likely not even exist anymore.
What’s the O/U on LAD season win total?
I’m setting it at 108. That may seem aggressive, but with the return of two way Ohtani and the addition of Snell to round out the leagues top rotation, there is no reason they shouldn’t win 2 out of every 3 games.
Like they do every season. Just keep fighting n winning series. One game @a time. Play the game in front of u.
or, sleepwalk to the playoffs and beat the one or two teams that spent almost as much as them
This contract and the others the Dodgers and other big spenders might make more fans show up for the Rockies,La Angels ,Pirates and Oakland( whatever team name they go by) series.Just to see if they have a shot of taken the divison each year.
Dang, was hoping the Reds would have swooped him on that 3yr 66M. He could have been a nice pairing with Elly at GABP
Of course the Reds would have probably had to go with a higher AAV. More like 3yr/72 with opt outs
Deferring money should not be allowed to circumvent the cap
But then he would have had to play, not to mention live, in Cincinnati.
Have you ever driven in LA?
that’s all you got?
Ever wonder why there are so many people, so many cars, so much money in LA?
‘Cause it’s not Cincinnati.
And for the record I don’t live there. My team does.
So your logic is basically this: they only live in LA becuase it is not Cincy? That’s impressive.
Since it seems hard for you to understand, ask a friend for a help.
I have mixed emotions. I like Teo, he’s a great teammate and he contributed mightily to last year’s championship. He was great in the clubhouse on a team that was as united as any you’ll ever see in the MLB. I’m happy for him, he got paid fairly.
As a Dodgers fan, I think three years was too much. I felt 2 years and $55 million would have been better. He’s 32, I doubt we will see the Teo we saw last year ever again.
Mookie is 32. Aaron Judge is 32. Manny Machado is 32. What a decrepit bunch.
It behooves me the Detroit Tigers should ever worry about losing a draft pick or a comp draft pick……..
Have the draft results really been anything to brag about?
A non-issue that is another excuse = NOT TO SPEND MONEY.
We are loaded for a repeat
We will see. Money got you 2024, but no guarantee on a repeat
As the man said, if you want a guarantee, buy a toaster. Baseball doesn’t come with any. In baseball all you can do is try to improve your probability of success — this being a game of probabilities, not guarantees. The Dodgers have done a lot to improve their probability of success. This is all anyone can say without having someone point at them and smirk as if they were maybe a totally silly person. And who’d want that?
Money didn’t win it all in 24. Clutch freeman and good arms won it. This lineup is loaded and the staff is deeper. If the young arms hold up they’ll win 100 games again. If they make it out the division series they’ll be heavy favorites. Solid club up and down with owners who actually want to win. Nothing in baseball is 100% but I’ll take 90% and enjoy the games.
of course dodgers are loaded they acquired all the guys nobody else could afford. at least admit it. they deserve some credit for winning what amounts to a mini-tournament but that’s about it. players would certainly admit they have a huge advantage over almost every team, but fans rarely do. funny stuff.
Every team and their owner can afford to pay what the dodgers paid ohtani. That contract pays for itself. Every team can draft and develop talent. Every team can place an emphasis on team wins not individual honors. You say they deserve some credit? They deserve all the credit. From owners all the way down to the farm. Players want to win and players want to play for an organization that wants to win. That’s why they choose La, it sure isn’t for the taxes, or the cleanliness of the area. Maybe the weather but San Diego’s has better weather. Maybe Florida or Texas for the taxes but again they want to win. Before you pop off again, just think who they’ve lost as well over the years. The dodgers draft well, sign well and develop players well. They also fix players other teams have given up on. They’ve earned the credit.
It’s not like the Dodgers ran away with the division until the end anyway
Pretty much figured this. The Red Sox being involved was once again fake news
Dodgers will be in trouble when they have to pay all that deferred money
Try paying attention. It’s been explained over and over again to those with any middle school reading comprehension. The return on the investment of the deferral money in escrow will have more than paid for the debts when due.
True, except for the escrow part. Escrow implies that the deferral set-asides are held by a third party. They aren’t, and this is a crucial distinction. The funds can be invested by the team in any liquid asset (or in non-liquid assets with the approval of the player). Financial statements for these deferral accounts are required to be submitted to the commissioner’s office quarterly. It’s all in the CBA.
Redsox: OMG! This is not that hard. Deferred money WILL BE THERE, when time comes.
If you say so, but when Mookie and Shohei start to crumble and they’re still paying for them, good luck
It’s not so much they can’t afford it; it has more to do with paying declining players in their later years who hold up a roster spot
The impacts of a player being signed beyond their productive years has nothing to do with whether any part of their salary was deferred. Nothing at all.
I apologize. I was looking at it is the total amount of money, not deferred as itself. Sorry for the confusion. Just think the money in general will catch up to the Dodgers.
I see how I worded it was wrong. I was just thinking of deferred money on top of already big contracts
There is no guarantee on a WS title
Having secured baseball contract next destination for Teoscar in LA maybe that thin dude who was Wonka for playing folk singer
Nice repost to kick MLB in the nutz after Kim.
I know the Dodgers have deferred a lot of cash and whatever they want to do is up to them. However, they keep this up and when the balance comes due, they are going to end up with a $200M or more payroll for players who aren’t even playing for them anymore
Gosh, I’m glad the Dodgers were able to squeeze out a few more million to sign another free agent!
They’re like the federal government. Spend and spend and spend and spend and spend and…
The Federal Government borrows and borrows and borrows. Then inflates the dollar as a form of hidden taxation. You’ve been taxed an extra 50% over the last 4 years. No legislation, no representation. End the Fed.
when an nba, nfl or nhl team wins a title it is something to be proud of. someday the mlb can be part of that group again. right now it’s metropolitan NE dollars vs. So. Calif dollars. billionaires trying to buy titles by hoarding superstars. it used to be entertaining for all fans, now just a select few. if only there was a way to make the playing field even for all franchises